


Purple Horizon

by OrangeRat81



Category: Life Is Strange (Video Game)
Genre: Angst, Death, Drama, F/F, Mental Health Issues, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-07-08
Updated: 2018-07-08
Packaged: 2019-06-07 11:57:52
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 13,670
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15218669
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OrangeRat81/pseuds/OrangeRat81
Summary: In the weeks following the storm that destroyed Arcadia Bay, Max and Chloe are trying to put their lives back together; a life that they've both decided to spend together, united by their love for each other. But is love enough to overcome the consequences of those choices?





	1. Chapter 1

_..There are so many more people in Arcadia Bay who should live...way more than me!_

_...Maybe you've just been delaying my real destiny..._

_...She deserves so much more than to be killed by a storm in a fucking diner!_

Max opened her eyes and jolted awake with a start, the last details of a dream, already three-quarters forgotten, passing through her mind as she stared at the stucco ceiling above her. "Chloe..." she whispered with a morose sigh, wiping the remnants of tears from her eyes. She could taste the sourness of her breath and feel the pounding of her head after another restless night filled with images she'd dare not think about. She turned to look up at the milk crate that doubled as a bedside table and groaned in frustration: the blank face of her alarm clock, the still blades of the small heater on the floor, and the general dimness and quiet of the apartment. The power was out again; third time this month.

"Are you actually cereal right now?" she muttered as she slid off the mattress on the floor and slowly got to her feet, walking to the washroom with her teeth chattering and a threadbare blanket wrapped around her body. She tossed the blanket by the front door and got undressed, hoping a shower might wash away some of her emotional dirt along with the physical. Max caught her reflection in the bathroom mirror as she passed it on the way to the tub; her attempts to avert her eyes not successful today. The darkness of the bathroom put her on edge, casting shadows on her face that made it look gaunt and corpse-like. Her chest tightened as her anxiety began to rise; she swore she saw figures or some sort of shape moving behind her. Quickly, she closed her eyes and kept them shut until she was safely in the tub with the curtain shut.

_I wish I wasn't alone right now._

Her dripping brown hair hung in her face as she stood in the small tub underneath the shower head; the water — lukewarm as always — cascaded down her trembling body. She leaned forward with her eyes closed; her forehead resting on the tiled wall, trying hard not to have another panic attack. "Two months since the storm." Max thought to herself. "Two months since I last used my powers. Two months since Arcadia Bay...ended" Max squeezed her eyes tightly closed and grimaced. Her chest tightened, and she felt herself starting to hyperventilate again; she willed herself to think about something else.

_The tepid water on her freckled skin..._

_The sound of cars outside the window..._

_The knowledge that she would be home soon..._

It had been just about two months since they drove north without looking back; two months since they had found a cheap apartment in a small town in northern Washington on the border with Canada; two months since she texted her parents to tell them that she was alive, and in touch with Chloe again. She let them know that she would tell them everything soon, and to please transfer as much money as they could spare into her bank account. Then she closed all of her social media accounts and cancelled her phone service.

"Two months... Two months" Max whispered over and over into the shower wall, head-butting the tiles and crossing her arms across her chest so tightly that her breasts hurt.

_You're my hero, Max…_

_Looks like fate doesn't even want us apart…_

"Your hero…who killed your whole family." Max whispered against the sound of the shower spray. Taking shaky breath after shaky breath, she closed her eyes and tried to keep herself from falling as her head began to spin.

_I can't keep fixing everything if all I'm going to do is just break it over and over again._

"I thought I could fix this…but…fuck this is all my fault, Chloe!" Max began to loudly sob, and bang her head harder against the shower wall. She closed her eyes and tried again to relax herself. "Stop it! You have to be strong, Max." She told herself, "Chloe needs you. You need to get your shit together and fix things right!"

After a few more moments, Max finally felt her breathing return to normal; the dizziness and nausea beginning to dissipate. She gingerly stepped out of the tub onto the cold bathroom floor. She pat herself dry with the towel that Chloe and she shared, then reached outside the bathroom for the blanket to wrap herself back up in. Her hand rubbed against nothing but the thin carpet of their apartment floor; it wasn't there.

"Um... Chloe?" She called out, "Are you here? Are you back?"

"Mm?" came the mumbled reply.

_Oh thank God!_

A small smile crossed her lips and, slipping back on her underwear and t-shirt, she crossed her arms across her chest for warmth and padded quickly down the short hall. Chloe lay in bed underneath the blanket, the orange of her work uniform peeking out. Max quickly slid underneath the blanket and shifted up against Chloe's body, wrapping an arm tightly around her and hugging her.

"Hmm?"

_I missed you! Fuck, am I glad you're back!_

"I'm cold." Max answered instead and moved even closer to Chloe, "The power is out again." she added, burying her face into the back of Chloe's shirt. Things had felt unusually distant between them for the past few weeks; with Chloe taking as many shifts as she could at work to support them, it seemed to Max like she hardly saw her much anymore. Although she didn't recall Chloe being away any more often than normal, to Max it felt like weeks since she felt the comfort that Chloe provided her. The scent of cigarettes, Slurpee syrup, and sweat emanating from Chloe's body filled Max with a feeling of safety far greater than the thin blanket that covered them. She quickly forgot about the power, the cold and her recent panic attacks; her eyes were starting to close when the shifting movement on the mattress roused her. Chloe turned over to face her, and Max saw Chloe's big blue eyes staring at her from an inch away; their noses almost touching. She could smell the sourness of Chloe's breath on her face and about to make a flippant comment but something about the way her eyes were gazing into hers with seriousness and sadness made her mouth shut again. Instead, she reached forward and pushed a bluish blonde strand off Chloe's nose.

"I'm sorry, Max." Chloe said to her softly. "For what?" Max asked, raising an eyebrow and continuing to push loose strands of Chloe's hair from her face.

_She looks so sad. I did this..._

Chloe's eyes seemed to Max not as bright as they once were and dark bags had formed underneath. It had only been two months, but Chloe looked to her like she'd aged five years in that time. "For being a fucking loser; for this shit apartment where the power goes out every other day; for working all the time and not making enough to buy proper meals for us." She took a deep breath and turned to look up at the ceiling, "You don't deserve any of this, Max."

Max frowned and wiped away a tear sliding down the side of Chloe's cheek. "You're no loser, Chloe! Maybe it's not perfect, but I know you're doing your best. I choose to be here with you, just like I said. I'll always have your back!"

"Why, Max? How...how could you choose this shit life with me instead of an entire town...instead of your friends...and my mother?"

Max's eyes tightly closed at the mention of the storm, and she felt her chest tighten again. The destroyed buildings, shattered bodies, the screaming that Max swore she could hear sometimes like it was happening right beside her...

"Why did you tear up that picture, Max?" Max's eyes opened again and she saw the look on Chloe's face, full of the same anguish she had on that day two months ago when she told Max that only she could make the choice, and then she made it; the same anguish that she always had when Arcadia Bay came up in their conversations. The same anguish in that motel bathroom.

Max crawled on top of Chloe, took her face in her hands and kissed her deeply. It took all of her mental strength to continue the façade of strength that she'd been forcing over the past two months, and she knew that if she didn't do something to distract her mind quickly then she'd fall apart, either bursting into tears or being crippled by a panic attack. She couldn't let that happen - not in front of Chloe. "Because I love you, Chloe! I've loved you for as long as I can remember! Because..." she said, still holding Chloe's face in her hands, "I left you once and I'm never leaving you again!" She took Chloe's hand in hers and squeezed it affectionately and reassuringly; brought it up to her mouth and kissed the fingers with the tar stains and chewed nails. Max closed her eyes and felt an undeniable urge to put Chloe's hand on her breasts...or between her legs; to do whatever she could to convince Chloe that she was there for her...and to know that Chloe was there for her as well.

"Okay, Max. Okay." Chloe whispered, a smile starting to form, "I don't know why you chose me...but you did...and I'll always be with you, no matter what. You're everything to me."

Max could feel her resolve breaking with tears starting to fill her eyes. "Always isn't long enough." she mouthed softly, then leaned down to kiss Chloe again and again, whispering her name as she felt overwhelmed by her need to be with her, to give herself fully to what Chloe made her feel. Their lips moved together as gentleness gave way to something deeper, increasing with growing intensity and emotion. Hands moved from her face, down her neck and Max gasped in satisfaction as she felt them move underneath her shirt and rough palms rub and squeeze her small breasts.

"My hands aren't too cold?" Chloe whispered, pulling apart from her to sit up slightly. "Shush!" Max said breathlessly, pushing Chloe back on the bed, and climbing back on top of her. The brunette's pale face had turned from light to dark pink as she leaned down and hungrily began to kiss Chloe again, her lips moving lower each time; first nipping at the bridge of her nose with her teeth...then the tip of it...then gently stopping to take her lower lip in her mouth and suck on it. As Max began to move down Chloe's face, she felt Chloe wrap her arms around her. Max moaned in pleasure at the fleshy invasion of Chloe's tongue in her mouth, then cringed involuntarily at the sudden taste overwhelming her senses.

Max's eyes opened as the tongue was quickly removed and saw a face inches from her own. "It's my breath, isn't it?" She said, smirking. Max smirked and roughly kissed Chloe's lips again, "The taste of 7-11 nachos and cheap cigarettes aren't my favourite, but it's fine." she rasped.

"I can brush my teeth if you want," Chloe said, looking toward the washroom thoughtfully. Max rolled her eyes and took Chloe's face in her hands, "Chloe...I need this...I need you to fu...gahh, I just need you, okay?"

"Jeez, girl! Fine, I'll shut up then!" Chloe said, laughing as she back down. Max smirked, "You're such a dork, Chloe." and, before she could respond to that, Max attached her mouth to the side of Chloe's neck and began to suck and bite. She felt Chloe's body shiver gently at the contact, and that made her body heat up even more. Her long fingers started clumsily unbuttoning Chloe's work shirt, needing to see and feel as much of her skin as possible. When she had finished with the last button, she pulled Chloe's shirt open and her eyes widened as she saw Chloe wasn't wearing a bra underneath. Chloe's eyes met hers, and they both smiled at each other, their faces a bright pink. "I always take it off when I walk in the door." she said unnecessarily.

Max saw Chloe close her eyes and heard her sigh in pleasure as the warm wetness of her lips brushed against Chloe's nipples, first one and then the other. "Do you like when I kiss you there?" Max asked breathlessly. Chloe nodded, her face blissful, "Mmmhmm!" Max smiled as she nuzzled and licked down Chloe's belly, "Where would you like me to kiss you next?" she asked, already with a destination in mind.

Chloe opened her mouth to answer when they were suddenly interrupted by a knocking on the door. Max jerked upright in surprise and covered her chest with her hands reflexively, nearly falling backward off the bed; meanwhile, Chloe let out a yelp of frustration and some choice words under her breath.

"Max? It's June Fraser from 103; is your power out too?"

Feeling light-headed and breathing heavily from their activities, Max stumbled across the room - arms protecting her breasts - and loudly called, "Yes, Mrs. Fraser! It's usually only off for a few hours, though!"

"Do you want me to call the super?"

"I swear if she doesn't back the fuck off right fucking now..." Chloe grumbled.

Max showed Chloe that she shared her frustration, then replied "No thank you! It's fine!" as she checked the chain on the door to make sure it was latched. When she heard the sound of footsteps padding down the hall again, she let out a breath she wasn't aware that she was holding and turned back toward the bed. Chloe had wrapped up in the blankets, facing away from the door.

Pushing her hair from her face with a hand, Max padded back toward the bed and slowly got in beside Chloe. "I'm sorry that happened," she said, with a sigh. "I fucking hate this apartment!" Chloe grumbled, her voice muffled by her pillow.

Max bit her lip, anxiety gradually loosening its grip on her chest, but doing nothing to relieve the throbbing ache remaining between her legs. "I guess that sort of killed the mood, huh?" she muttered, staring up at the ceiling and trying to think about something else.

"We...um...can still do stuff if you want." she heard Chloe say. Turning toward her, Max let out a laugh despite herself at Chloe's cheeky smirk and reached over to run her fingers through Chloe's hair affectionately. Hair dye wasn't a priority following their exodus from Oregon, so the blue and purple of Chloe's hair had faded significantly showing Chloe's original red-blonde colour. "I mean...whatever. You don't...have to, I guess. This is nice too; I mean, lying here with you...beside you."

Chloe's smirk turned into a grin that caused her blue eyes to shine. Max smiled back, but the smile turned to surprise as she felt Chloe's hand brush over her belly. "Chloe, wha..." Max started to say, but was cut off by a soft "I love you, Max." Chloe leaned over and placed gentle kisses on Max's bare neck as her hand slowly slid down the front of Max's underwear. The ache between Max's legs grew exponentially as Chloe's fingers parted her moist folds and touched the places where she seemed to know Max ached to be touched.

Max's breathing quickened, and her mind focused on nothing else but the joy and pleasure that her Chloe was giving her; her best friend...her lover...their new relationship hadn't ever been formally defined but that was not on her mind at the moment, The rough fingers that touched her sensitive areas were calloused, and she smelled strongly of unwashed skin, cigarettes, and coffee; yet she knew nothing felt or smelled better. Instead of the urgent desire she felt before, this was something softer...more delicate. More like their first time.

She felt Chloe's touches increase in speed, responding to the gentle moans and whimpers she couldn't help but make; despite the earlier interruption, it didn't take long for Max to return to that place of peak pleasure where a familiar tightness like a coiled spring started in her belly and grew outward. Chloe continued kissing her neck and around her jawline, as she finally reached the edge of release and then gently let herself go. Her mouth opened and she inhaled sharp, stuttering breaths; trembling as she emptied her lungs and closed her legs tightly around Chloe's hand to draw out the feeling.

She lay panting for a few moments, catching her breath, before she turned to Chloe with a smile and saw that she had managed to pry her hand out and was flexing her fingers. Max sat up and kissed her lips. "I love you, Chloe." she said, their foreheads touching.

"How do you feel?"

Max laughed and tried to come up with the proper words to describe the bliss she was experiencing, when, with a loud thump, the lights in the apartment came back on. The microwave in the kitchen beeped, the clock radio blared static, the small heat fan buzzed, and the building was suddenly alive with sounds from every direction.

"For fuck's sake!" Chloe said, laying back in the bed, laughing despite herself. Max lay on her chest and contemplated the past few hours and minutes. She knew the good feelings wouldn't always be there, and she was ready for the next panic attack. It would probably happen sooner rather than later. It had been two months, after all.

_It was time to return to the real world._


	2. Chapter 2

After a hectic evening filled with night workers grabbing snacks for the graveyard shift, truckers grabbing coffee and smokes, and teenagers picking up condoms, it was past midnight and Chloe intended to take advantage of the lull in activity; her mind free to reflect. While the cigarette in her mouth helped to calm some of her stress, it did nothing for the loneliness that she felt stronger than ever as of late. Maybe it had to do with the weather turning colder? The snow had been falling more often and so things looked bleaker?

She scratched the back of her head with chewed nails and pulled her coat tighter around her body. The wind had picked up and it had started snowing again, chilling her through her thin jacket. Taking one last drag off her cigarette, Chloe flicked it onto the snowy ground and made her way back into the store.

The fluorescent lights burned her eyes, and she squinted and reached below the counter for her Slurpee cup. She knew she should clean the soda machines, or mop the floors, or check the toilet paper in the washroom, or any number of tasks that she got paid to do. She suspected that the store manager checked the cameras to make sure things got done, and she needed this job. She hated this job, yes, but she needed it.

_No more Chloe the fuck up! I have to be responsible, and dependable, and all sorts of fucking 'ibble' words! I can't screw up anymore! There's...nobody left to look out for me._

Her father, her mother, Rachel, even Frank and David were gone now; like a giant wave had come out of nowhere and stripped her life away of everybody that ever mattered to her; that even knew her or ever gave her half a chance. They were gone.

_And it was all because of me._

The hardest part had been in the days following the storm. She regarded the immediate aftermath like a numb blur, driving away from the only place she'd ever known and hitting the open road. She always used to talk about leaving Arcadia Bay - first by herself and then with Rachel - so putting the small Oregon town behind her should have been the culmination of a lifetime of desire. But she felt a numb, devoid of emotion or purpose. It didn't even occur to her the full extent of what had happened until three days later, and when it did, it  ** _hit_**  her. She remembered that everything had seemed like a dream of some kind - some sort of disembodied fantasy that happened to another Chloe in another life. When you pass a motor vehicle accident on the highway, and see the blood on the road; you feel deep down that there's a tragedy in that wreckage, but you feel nothing. But then one evening she stood in a motel bathroom, staring at her naked reflection in the mirror just before she stepped in the shower and...it happened. It felt like a train had come out of nowhere and slammed into her, wrenching her heart out of her. She had sunk to the floor, oblivious to the cold tiles against her bare skin, and broken down in a sobbing fit so all-consuming that seemed to take her breath away. She couldn't move...couldn't think...couldn't even swallow. She just cried and cried, sitting alone and unloved in a world where she had nobody.

Back in the present, she turned away from the cameras as she felt the tears start to stream down her cheeks as the memories got the best of her again. Only during the nights when she was alone at work did she allow herself to give in to her emotions. Chloe thought about her mother, who loved her despite her flaws, who forgave her swearing and drug use, who spent her life working her ass off in a diner just to support an ungrateful piece of shit like her.

_She probably died in that fucking diner too._

Chloe thought about Rachel who made her laugh, made her so nervous she felt like throwing up; who taught her what it felt like to be loved, who saved her from suicide, who gave her a first kiss, a first requited romance, a first orgasm. Rachel, who promised to move with her to LA, get married and live happily ever after; Rachel Amber who promised to run away with her...but then ran away from her...to Frank...then to Mark Jefferson.

_And now they're all dead: all three of them. And I'm alone._

She stared out the window at the falling snow; how the moon rays fell on them, so they glittered like diamonds. She stared at the soft flakes falling like bits of glass from the sky, illuminated by a single dim street lamp. The whole scene outside soon found itself blanketed in white.

_Actually no..._

A small smile came across her lips as she thought about how much it looked like something out of an artsy photograph. An old, corny scene from an old, out-of-date camera. She wiped her eyes on the sleeve of her work shirt, then took a sip of her melted 'Rad Raspberry' Slurpee.

_Actually that's not true._ _Almost_ _everybody had been taken away, but there's still...still..._

Chloe closed her eyes, swallowing hard as more tears came; on that day two months ago, when she lay an anguished, sobbing wreck on that motel bathroom floor, she hadn't actually been alone after all. She remembered skinny arms wrapping around her, hugging her tightly and whispering reassurance in her ear. When she ran to the toilet in between sobs, a pair of hands had rubbed her back and held her hair out of her face as she threw up. Those same hands had washed her in the shower that night, patted her dry, and helped her into bed; they also had been wrapped around her all night, warming her shivering bare body, and nuzzling her neck as the sobs continued to hiccup out of her until the sun came up.

The next morning felt only slightly better, and she had been there for her again. She had been there to comfort her when she cried, hold her hair back as she vomited, and hug her when she needed to feel someone's presence. That night, as she brushed Chloe's hair and asked if she needed anything, Chloe had turned around and, without thinking about it, they kissed for the first time; at least the first time that didn't feel playful or teasing. That first kiss turned into two, then three...then she had lost count as they both lost themselves in each other's embrace.

That night, even as the tears were still damp on Chloe's face, they had given their bodies to each other. Unlike the teenage fumbling of Chloe's times with Rachel, or the casual lays with various people whose names she couldn't remember anymore, this felt like, for the first time, she actually was 'making love'. Devoid of urgency, or single-mindedness; it was about touching, kissing, quiet noises and tenderness. When it ended, the two held each other close and whispered at the same time "I love you." Chloe had looked into the eyes of this person who she had known her entire life – lovingly running her still-damp fingers through the downy soft hair between her lover's legs - and knew that things somehow would be okay.

The next morning, the two had driven north, found an apartment, and she had got this job. From that point on, she never far from those warm hands, those skinny arms, those kind eyes and freckled, hippie face. That's why she mopped floors, cleaned soda machines, and dusted shelves; it's also why she hadn't given in to the despair of losing her world and even why she bothered to wake up each day.

_Maxine. My Super Max. She gave up everything for me...changed time for me...saved my life. She came back into my world and destroyed a whole fucking town for me because..._

*ahem*

Chloe broke from her revelry to see a man standing by the counter with a small pile of snack foods. "I'm ready." He said with a smirk; Chloe would put him in his mid-to-late twenties. Chloe wiped her eyes on her sleeve again, gave her head a shake and her lips curled up in fake "happy to help" smile. "No problem! Sorry about that! Just...a little distracted, I guess."

"No problem. It's late...or should I say early?" He chuckled as she rang through his purchases. She stopped herself from rolling her eyes and tried her best to make eye contact, "Yeah... I...guess either works, huh?"

"I guess it does. So... I like your hair. It's...cool."

She snorted in laughter. "Thanks, but...it looks awful." Her natural reddish blonde hair showed so much through the blue and purple that not even her knit cap could hide it anymore.

"Naw...it's unique! It suits you."

"Thanks, I guess. Um...anything else?" Chloe asked, handing the bag of items to the guy.

"I think I'm done, babe," he said smiling, "Unless you feel like giving me your phone number?" he added with a wink.

"Smooth." Chloe said; this time she didn't stop herself from rolling her eyes. Being regularly asked out was getting to be a common, albeit annoying, part of working the overnight shift for her. "Well, I had to try." he said, opening the door the outside.

"No you didn't!" she called after him as he walked through it. She watched him get into his car and drive away before she walked out from behind the counter with the broom and started sweeping around the front-end of the store.

_Still half the night to finish up in here; still plenty of time for another break._

Chloe leaned the broom against a nearby wall, grabbed her coat from behind the counter and lit the cigarette as she walked out into the cold winter night.

The rest of her shift passed by without much incident - a couple more people came in for snacks or cigarettes, and one of them may or may not have given her a creepy look - but Chloe's mind dulled by the time the sun rose over the horizon. When the day crew arrived, and she stumbled into her truck with a tray of nachos in one hand, and a coffee in the other, she felt like collapsing.

The roads were empty this early on a Sunday morning, so Chloe's only challenge while driving home involved keeping her eyes open as she sipped at her coffee and stuffed cheese-soaked chips into her mouth.

_Fucking tired...can't believe I have to work so much just to pay for a shitty apartment in a shitty town! Max deserves better than this... Max deserves better than_ _me_ _._

Suddenly, she startled with a realization; she turned to look in the back seat and slammed her hands on the steering wheel in frustration, "Dammit! I forgot to bring home something for Max!" she shouted.

_Must have been super tired this morning; I never forget to bring something home for Max!_

She contemplated heading back to the store, but the idea of being there when she didn't have to made her feel anxious; and she knew nothing else was open this early.

_Fuck! Well...maybe I'll take her for breakfast or something._

Chloe tossed the empty coffee cup and nachos tray in the growing garbage pile in the back seat of her truck, and made her way into the building. All the lights were off in the first floor hallway and the emergency lights were on.

_Son of a bitch! This place hella sucks!_

By the time she reached their door at the end of the hallway, her depression had returned, and Chloe squeezed her eyes closed in frustration.

_Is this really what you wanted, Max? A shitty apartment in the middle of nowhere, with a roommate that can barely afford not to be homeless or have to beg at the food bank?_

She entered quietly in case Max was still asleep, but finding her in the shower she grabbed the blanket that sat by the door, and collapsed onto the bed. "Just a few hours. Then I'll take Max out somewhere." Chloe thought to herself, listening to the sound of Max in the shower.

_She could have been famous. She could have had an amazing future, instead of...this. But she chose this...all because of me. Me. She gave it all up for me._

She chuckled and turned over in bed, closing her eyes and starting to doze off.

"Um... Chloe? Are you here? Are you back?"

Her eyes opened again, "Mm?" She said sleepily. Suddenly, she heard the padding steps of someone racing across the floor; the blanket pulled aside for a moment, and then she was being clutched by a cold, damp person that smelled like dollar store lavender shampoo.

"Hmm?"

"I'm cold. The power is out again."

Chloe sighed; she loved her more than she could ever say...yet she couldn't help but be reminded again of what Max could have had if only...she had chosen differently.

She turned over and her stomach did cartwheels.

_Those eyes..those same eyes with the same look of concern they always seem to have lately whenever they look at me._

Chloe exhaled softly, and felt so many emotions all at once as she unconsciously lost herself in counting every freckle on Max's nose. Max's mouth at first seemed to open to say something but then closed again and the concern in her eyes deepened. Chloe cringed without meaning to as Max's fingers brushed the hair in her face aside, and restrained an urge to take the fingers in her hand and kiss them over and over until Max laughed and pulled them away playfully. She didn't think Max looked like laughing though.

_Any second, she's going to tell me she can't handle all of this anymore. Then she's going to tell me she's leaving. Maybe her parents are already on the way to get her?_

Swallowing back a lump in her throat as she felt the tears threaten to start, she knew nothing she could say would change Max's mind if it had indeed been made up. But she also knew that she loved the skinny, freckled girl more than anything - certainly more than herself - and she wanted to tell her so. She never seemed to tell her enough, Chloe felt.

Finally, she found her words and, blinking back her tears, she said "I'm sorry, Max."


	3. Chapter 3

The rattle of dishes, shouts from the kitchen, and chatter of a dozen different conversations filled the small diner that Chloe had taken Max to for brunch. Chloe sipped her coffee, trying to wake up, and gazed with a smile at Max; the brunette was poking her bacon with a fork.

"I don't think these are fully cooked." Max said, "Do you think I should send them back?"

Chloe shook her head, "In a place like this, I wouldn't. What you got instead would probably be spit in or farted on."

Max grimaced and pushed her plate away, "I…think I'll just have coffee then."

Chloe reached across the table, took Max's hand and gave it a squeeze. "This is nice. I mean, I usually just bring you something home from work, but…I like this. Getting out and doing things together. Feels…normal, ya know? We don't just hang out much anymore. "

Max nodded and regarded Chloe with a small smile. "It is nice, yeah." she entwined her fingers with Chloe's and leaned over the table, meeting Chloe's lips in a soft, quick kiss. "You know…I hardly feel like I see you anymore. When you're home, you're usually asleep until you have to leave for work; I try to find stuff to do to fill the day, and I've gotten back into photography lately, but…I miss you, Chloe."

Chloe's eyes cast downward, ashamed of Max's words, "I'm sorry, Maxi. I'm just…trying to keep us going…you know? This is all new to me: working, having my own place…sorry, our own place, and just…the whole 'adult'ing' thing, you know? I should definitely try to be there for you more, though. You're my…um…Max."

"Yes. I'm definitely Max." Max said with a snort.

Chloe grinned and pulled Max's hand to her face; she kissed each finger, "Dork! What I mean is that…we are together, so we should do stuff together. I mean, we definitely do stuff together; sometimes twice in one day as I recall." her cheeks reddening as she giggled.

Max pushed blonde hair from Chloe's face with her hand; the bright blue shining love as they radiated emotion toward Chloe. She moved to Chloe's side of the booth and sat next to her. "I know what you mean, silly." Max said, laughing.

They sat together for a moment, the silence between them anything but awkward; then, eventually, Max's face seemed to become more serious, "So Chloe…I was thinking - and I hope you won't be upset with me…" Max squeezed Chloe's hand and bit her bottom lip. "I was thinking that..um..I would like to…" she trailed off then took a deep, shaky breath, her eyes seemed to look everywhere but at Chloe.

"Max…" Chloe tried to smile as she told her, "I promise you…no matter what you say, I could never be upset with you!" For emphasis, Chloe put her hand on Max's shoulder and rubbed it gently.

Max smiled a small, half-smile and took the hand on her shoulder into her own. Looking down at it and tracing the veins on the back of Chloe's hand through her pale skin with her fingers, Max exhaled and closed her eyes, "I was thinking…if we would be able to…um…visit my parents?" Max leaned back slightly, as though she was trying to distance herself from Chloe's reaction.

Chloe's eyes briefly registered surprise, but she corrected herself quickly, then pulled Max to her in a tight hug, "Oh Max…why would I be upset with you?"

Max rested her head on Chloe's shoulder and hugged her back, "I just thought…never mind, it doesn't matter."

Chloe signalled to a passing server to bring the check, as Max sat up and rubbed the back of her neck nervously, "So, what do you think?"

An elderly woman in a pink dress tossed a slip of paper on the table; Chloe peered at it, then threw some money down as she took Max's hand, "Sure! Why don't we go back to the place, pack some stuff and leave today?"

Max's eyes opened wide, "T…today? Like…today today?"

Chloe laughed, "Yeah, Max; like today today today! It's still early, so we should get to Seattle before suppertime if we leave soon. You said you wanted to go, right?"

"Well…yeah, but…today? Are you sure? What about you?" Max softly asked as she got into the truck beside Chloe.

"What about me? I can call in sick from work for tonight - fuck knows I've been putting in enough hours at that place." Chloe said with a smirk as the truck engine turned over and they pulled out of the lot and took off down the snowy road.

Max sat in silence for a while, crossing her arms across her chest and frowning. Chloe turned to look at her and, seeing her expression, she reached over and put a hand on her shoulder, "What's the matter, huh? I thought you'd be bouncing up and down to see your parents again."

Max sighed and looked out the window, "Chloe?"

"Hmm?"

There was a pause, "Are you…you know," Max turned to look at Chloe, "happy?"

"Am I happy?" Chloe repeated, shooting Max a quizzical look, "I work in a shitty convenience store and we live in a crappy apartment where the power goes out every few days. We're practically broke and…well…I dunno, Max…the only thing in my life that I associate with the word 'happy' is sitting beside me right now." She opened the window a crack and lit up a cigarette. "What the heck does me being happy have to do with seeing your parents?"

Max folded her hands in her lap, avoiding Chloe's eyes, "Well…I've been thinking about contacting them for a while. I even wrote them a letter a couple of weeks ago where I told them about everything that had been going on, everything that I'd been up lately, and about you…and you know…us? And…about Arcadia Bay, and what…what happened there. But then I tore it up and threw it away."

"Why would you do something like that?"

Max was quiet for nearly five minutes. Every so often, she would open her mouth slightly as though she was about to say something, but then close it again and her eyes would get a distant look. Finally, just as Chloe was ready to give up on getting an answer and made a move to get out of the truck, Max softly spoke, "I…I did it because…I thought about you and…" her eyes started to shine as tears formed, "everything you lost…and it didn't seem right after what…I did."

Chloe tossed the cigarette out the window, not even half done. "Max…look at me."

Max looked up slowly, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand. Chloe put a hand on her shoulder, "Listen to me: You, Maxine fucking Caulfield, are not responsible for what a shitty person I am."

"Chloe, I…"

Chloe put a finger on Max's mouth, "Shush! Just…let me finish, okay?"

Max nodded.

"I was a bad friend and a terrible kid. I led a shitty life, and I would have died a shitty death, like, a hundred times if not for you. My mom is dead because of my decisions, Max, so don't you dare blame yourself for any of it! You are amazing, and if I made you feel at all responsible for anything that has happened, then that means I'm an even shittier person.

Chloe hugged Max tightly and kissed the side of her head, "Now, let's get some stuff packed and go see your folks, okay?"

Max nodded, smiling, and gave Chloe's hand a gentle squeeze.

An hour later, Chloe was focusing intently on the road ahead as her pickup truck sped down I-5 heading south. Her eyes scanned every sign that they passed.

"Chloeeeee…."

Chloe sighed, "We'll be in Seattle in 45 minutes, Max!"

"I can't hold it!"

"Chill out, I see a rest stop coming up."

As the truck slid to a halt at the rest stop, Max raced out of the truck in the direction of the washrooms, while Chloe strolled over to the picnic area; lighting a cigarette as she walked. She looked back out at the road and bit her lower lip pensively, then took a drag off her morning had begun for Chloe just as many others did over the past few weeks: she came home from work, went to bed…

"Well, maybe not right to bed." Chloe thought, chuckling to herself at the memory of their activities earlier that day.

When she had seen fit to wake up sometime after noon, she had remembered her promise from the drive home, and she and Max had gone for brunch.

_And now we're going to Seattle… We're returning to civilization._

Chloe felt anxiety well up in her as they neared the end of their self-imposed exile.

_Was it self-imposed…Or did I impose it on us?_

Chloe had also disconnected her phone from the internet like Max had, but she worked in a convenience store so she couldn't avoid the newspapers that were thrown in front of the doors early each morning. She still remembered the headlines in the weeks following the storm that hit Arcadia Bay:

_**Worst storm to hit the West Coast in American history!** _

_**Millions of dollars in destruction; bodies lost in the rubble that may never be found…** _

_**Town of Arcadia Bay nearly wiped off the map…** _

Chloe avoided the newspaper racks like the plague whenever she cleaned the store, and winced every time somebody purchased one. The pictures…the faces…Chloe had never been able to bring herself to read about the identities of people that were found; she was afraid she'd recognize them.

_Scratch that. She knew that she'd recognize them._

She closed her eyes and took another lungful from her cigarette.

Did I keep Max from her parents? Did I keep Max isolated?

No! I'd never do that…Would I?

By the time Max returned, Chloe was feeling a bit better, but she was still nagged by doubt and concern.

"Max…" Chloe started, turning to her as she climbed back into the truck.

"Yeah, I know. It's getting late. So…Let's go, right?"

Chloe walked around and got into the driver's seat, but hesitated with the ignition. "Can I ask you a question?"

Max smiled at Chloe, but her eyes looked worried, "You know you can, Chloe."

"Do you still.." Chloe felt like the walls of the truck were closing in and reflexively lit another cigarette, being careful to hold it away from Max. "Do you still…think about it?"

"About…it?" Max repeated, sounding confused at first, but then her eyes showed recognition and her smile quickly went away, "You mean…about the storm?"

Chloe nodded quickly, and closed her eyes with the cigarette still hanging out of her mouth, "I…I have dreams a lot. Not as much as right after…but more lately, and…I feel like there's something wrong with me." she turned to look at Max and opened her eyes again. "I feel like…"

"Like it's happening all over again?" Max finished Chloe's sentence and put her hand on Chloe's knee.

Chloe nodded, "I want you to see your family again. But…I don't feel ready to deal with all of this shit again."

"Chloe…you don't ever have to deal with any of this alone again. I'm here for you, and I always will be."

Chloe tried to smile at that, "Yeah well…anyway…enough sap for now. Let's hit the road."


	4. Chapter 4

Many thoughts crossed Chloe's mind as her truck crawled its way up the incline and toward Max's parent's house in suburban Seattle.

Many thoughts crossed Max's mind too; a large part of her silently screamed to grab Chloe's arm and demand she turn around; she would tell Chloe she wasn't ready – she thought she was but it turns out she wasn't – and would she please just forget this whole thing?

"Last place on the left, right?"

Max blinked and turned to Chloe, "Uh…yeah. That one right there." She indicated with a languid gesture.

"So, are you ready, Max?" Chloe asked, her eyes showing that she herself was anything but.

Max took a deep breath and let it out slowly, "Yeah. Ready." She softly said, then visibly swallowed hard. Chloe slowed the truck to a crawl and then a full stop.

The two sat in silence, looking at the house beside them. Max recognized her mom's car in the driveway, and the sight of it made her excited and really anxious.

_Chloe would probably say "hella nervous" or something. Then she'd take my hand and tell me to chill before I vomit all over the dashboard or some snarky thing like that…except she's just sitting here, looking as freaked out as I am._

Max turned to Chloe, her blue eyes staring into Chloe's own with what she hoped was defiant fortitude and slurred, "Well, cap'n Chloe…should we walk the plank?"

Chloe let out a snort of laughter and said, "I'm…um…ready if you are…I mean, if you arrrr!"

_Max is so cute when she tries to be brave. If I didn't feel like tossing my cookies, I'd kiss her._

Max slowly opened the passenger door and slid out, standing and waiting on the sidewalk until Chloe came up beside her. When she did, Max reached out and took Chloe's hand, looking down at it with a smile as she entwined their fingers together.

_Aw, fuck it!_

Chloe leaned in and gave Max a quick kiss on the cheek then said with a smirk, "Let's go before someone calls the cops on us or something."

Moments after they tentatively knocked on the door, there was the expected shedding of tears from Max's parents, and from Max herself. Between the hugging and reassuring words, Chloe felt the best thing to do was stand back and not interfere. "This is Max's time." She thought to herself, looking back at the closed door uncomfortably.

_...was so worried when I heard…_

_...didn't let us know how you were…_

_…kept meaning to write but…_

The reunion was going full blast within minutes, and soon they found themselves sitting around the Caulfield kitchen table answering question after question over cups of hot tea; Max did, at least.

Chloe found herself silently following after the newly-reunited family as she was whisked inside the house; the door shut behind her. She felt like an afterthought as she floated behind Max; the ghost of herself.

_The ghost of someone who used to matter._

She looked around the Caulfield kitchen, trying to focus her attention on something else, while Max's mother fawned over her. She had been here to support Max, but things felt awkward from the moment she walked in the door.

_This isn't my house…this isn't my family. Max is home…she doesn't need me anymore. She's safe here. The last time things were going bad, she ran here too._ _Maybe she should just..._

"Chloe?"

Chloe looked up at the sound of her name, her focus brought back to the table, and the three pairs of eyes now focused on her in the dimness of the kitchen light. Each pair seemed to convey a different emotion as her eyes flicked between them: concern...apprehension...sadness.

Her eyes focused on those of the person directly across the table from her; Vanessa Caulfield's, which were rimmed red from tears recently shed and shone with new tears threatening to fall, "Chloe?", she repeated, her hands squeezing together on the table in front of her, "My gosh...you look so...well, I can't even imagine what you must have gone through since the last time I saw you. It seems like such a long time ago."

Chloe ran her fingers through the blue and blonde tangle of hair that hung in front of her face, a nervous habit she had recently borrowed from Max, and simply nodded solemnly. The last time she sat in the kitchen at Max's house, she was a child barely in her teens and eating a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. She had a happy home, a happy life, and her best friend, and didn't expect any of that to change.

_I have to stop believing that every time things are going well, they will stay that way._

"I've been reading the papers...we've both been following the news from Oregon since the storm." Ryan Caulfield's voice sounded tentatively in Chloe's ears. "I don't suppose you've...heard about...anybody? I mean...about your friends...or your family?"

Chloe swallowed, and shook her head quickly, "No I...that is, we...have been trying to...stay away from the news." she said softly to the polished wood of the table.

With her eyes cast downward, she saw Max's hand reach toward her from under the table and take Chloe's, giving it a quick squeeze before pulling back slightly as though she was uncertain if it was welcome. Chloe responded without words by grabbing it and entangling her fingers with Max's, her actions nearly unconscious.

Max's parents looked at each other, their eyes a mask of worry, and then turned first to Max, then to Chloe, "So... Max said that you and she have a place together not too far from Seattle? And you've been working?" Vanessa Caulfield asked, quickly changing the subject.

Max's hand clutched in hers renewed Chloe's confidence somewhat and she looked up again, meeting the concerned eyes, "Yeah...the apartment is a pretty shi... uh...bad place, but...it's something, I guess. It's all we could...well, anyway I've been working mostly every night at the 7-11 off the highway. Except tonight. It doesn't pay great, but..." She said, trailing off with a shrug.

"Chloe's been doing everything she can, mom, but...things been crazy since we left. With us and...well, just everything." Max added.

"I can't imagine." Vanessa replied, repeating, "I don't even want imagine what you two girls have been through. I'm just glad you found each other again after Max came back to Arcadia Bay. You two were so close when we lived there."

_Yeah...before you took her away and then she forgot about me._

Chloe felt emotion rising in her throat. Being in this house around Max's parents made her feel dizzy and sick; like she was running a fever.

_I used to dream about hitchhiking here. Every time I was sad, or angry, or lonely, all I wanted was to find a way to come here and Max would make things better again._

_Sometimes I'd lie in bed, and every sound outside was Max standing underneath the window. I'd open the window and she'd climb up...and I'd take her hands and..._

_Fuck! Why did you take Max away?! Why did she go when I needed her?! Didn't she know?! Didn't anybody know?! I thought Rachel understood me...but nobody ever got me like Max! I want to set this house on fire!_

"Yeah...I'm glad we found each other too." Chloe said softly, burying her thoughts down into the pit of her stomach.

"So, are either of you hungry?" Max's mother asked, standing up and walking over to the fridge, "We've already had supper, but I don't mind making something for you."

Max turned to Chloe and, their hands separating under the table, she said, "I'm fine, I think. We stopped for snacks along the way."

Chloe smiled politely at Vanessa Caulfield, "I'm good for now, thanks, ma'am."

Max's father stood up and put his hand on Max's shoulder, "Well, I don't know what your plans are for tomorrow, but you're welcome to spend the night...or stay as long as you like. We have an extra room made up for guests, or...I suppose you're welcome to both stay in Max's room. I could dig out a sleeping bag if you wanted?"

Max reached up and put her hand on her father's hand, her eyes casting a quick glance over at Chloe. "Actually...um...I think we're fine sharing a bed."

"Yes, of course!" Vanessa Caulfield said, and motioned to the doorway, "Max can show you where her room is, and there are plenty of clean towels if you two wanted to have a shower."

Ryan Caulfield walked over to stand beside his wife, "Have a good night, girls. We're so...incredibly happy to have you home. Both of you."

Max got up and gave hugs to both of her parents as Chloe remarked to them, "I might...actually go out to the car first and... get some stuff." She turned on her heels, not waiting for a response before heading out the front door.

She crossed her arms over her chest as she met the cold Seattle night; the snow had turned into a cool rain that misted her as she came down the walk. She plucked a cigarette from the pack in her pocket and, unlocking the drivers' side door, she sat in the car as she lit it.

_I could drive away if I wanted to._

_Max is safe. She's with her parents like she wanted to be._

_I could drive away...if I wanted to._

_If..._

She turned her head and, blowing smoke out the open car door, she looked up the front steps at the main door to the Caulfield house. She looked at the cracks in the stairs, the single leafless tree standing on the front lawn, the vinyl siding that led up to the roof.

_Max is safe here. She's...home._

Chloe took a drag off her cigarette and stared at the car keys in her hand. At that moment, they felt like they weighed five times as much.

_She's safer than she'd be with me._

Chloe turned to look down the incline, toward the way they'd come. The sun was nearly down, and cast a purple haze over the horizon; a few stars had come out and twinkled softly in the hazy, misty night air. She stared at the purple horizon for a few moments, deep in thought as she smoked. Her eyes glanced over to the passenger side seat; to the discarded candy bar wrappers on the floor.

With a sigh of resignation, Chloe rubbed the short stub of a cigarette butt on her jeans leg until the lit end and ash blew away into the breeze. She tossed the butt on the floor of the truck, grabbed the large duffel bag containing hers' and Max's things from behind the seats, and, with a wry smirk and snort of exhaled breath, she locked the car door and made her way back inside.

Max's room was small, but comfortable looking. The cream-coloured walls had movie posters, art exhibit advertisements, and photographs taped to them. The double bed had a generic looking blue duvet and pillows sitting on them; it looked out of place among the decorations of the room.

Chloe was sitting on the bed, flipping through a photo album containing pictures of random nature shots when Max pushed open the door and walked in; she had a large towel wrapped around her body and another she was using to pat dry her damp hair.

"Oh, you found my room. I was worried I'd have to go looking for you." Max said with a smile, sitting on the bed beside Chloe.

Chloe put the photo album on the floor at her feet and smirked at Max, "Yeah, well...it was the only bedroom in this place decorated in 'nerd chic' "

Max's smile grew larger and she gave Chloe a playful poke.

_Max's eyes sparkle when she's happy, **really** happy. This is the first time I've seen Max really smile since...before we..._

"So I guess you must be hella excited to be here," Chloe said, cutting off her own thought before it took her someplace she'd rather not go.

Max lay back on the bed, her eyes traveling around the room, "It's so different than the last time I was home. My room, I mean, but also...other stuff. All of my things are..." She trailed off, and her smile faded, "I brought everything that meant something to...to Blackwell. My quilt that mom and I made together...my computer...the guitar my folks got me...many of my pictures too. This doesn't feel like my bed...or my room."

Chloe sighed and lay on her side beside Max, her head propped up one elbow, "I know. But at least you're home now."

Max's head turned to look at Chloe, "Home? No, this is my parents' place; it's not mine. Not anymore."

Chloe gave her a questioning look, "But you wanted to be here, right? You asked to come here."

Max turned onto her side and matched Chloe's position, "Well...yeah, I wanted to  **visit**  my parents again and make sure they knew I was alive and stuff; but this isn't my home, Chloe."

Chloe sat up suddenly, "Why the heck not, Max? The electricity doesn't go out here every other day! You're not spending all day alone in the middle of nowhere with no money or transportation! You don't have hella crazy neighbours knocking on the door all the time! Here, you're...safe, Max! Isn't this what you wanted? Just like you wanted to be here before."

She felt bad about letting her emotions boil over like that; ashamed and vulnerable. She put her hands over her face, trying to hold in any further outbursts; or any tears,

Max bit her lower lip, then rolled onto her stomach, her towel coming untucked and falling away; she didn't seem to mind or notice. She slid her damp, naked body up behind Chloe and, wrapping her arms around the taller woman from behind, Max rested her head on Chloe's shoulder.

"Chloooeee? Chloe, please look at me!"

Chloe kept her hands over her face. "Mmm?" She mumbled from behind them. She could feel Max's damp hair against her cheek and the swelling of Max's breasts pressing firmly against her back.

Max's arms pulled Chloe tighter against her body and she said softly into her ear, "I'm happy to see my parents, Chloe, but my home... **our**  home is that shitty apartment you mentioned. You know...the one with the power failures and the crazy neighbours?"

Chloe sighed and her hands ran through her hair, "But why would you ever want to go back there when you have a place like this to live in?" She turned her head slightly and met Max's eyes plaintively.

Max's face leaned forward and kissed Chloe's lips softly, lingered for a beat and a half, then pulled away and whispered, "Chloe...stop being a donkeybrain."

Chloe wrinkled her nose in a mock sneer and half-grinned, "The fuck you call me?"

Max's hands slipped under Chloe's t-shirt and squeezed her bare stomach, "Chloe...listen to the words that are coming out of my mouth. My home is wherever you are. I already told you, I'm never leaving you again. What will it take to convince you?" Without waiting for an answer, she placed soft kisses along Chloe's jawline, then on the corner of Chloe's mouth, then their lips met again. Max nudged her mouth with her tongue and Chloe was equal parts surprised and eager to allow it access.

Chloe turned her body around and held Max's face in her hands, pressing their faces together as much as possible until their lips only separated briefly every few seconds so they could take quick breaths. Chloe's hands soon released their grip and slowly made their way down Max's freckled neck and chest. She squeezed her breasts, still warm and slightly wet from the shower, firmly, and began to lay her down on the bed without separating their lips. Chloe felt Max's nipples stiffen in the centre of her palms, and Max moaned softly; then, just as Chloe had eased her knee up between Max's legs, Max abruptly pushed Chloe back and off of her; they both sat up quickly.

Covered in a pink blush from her cheeks down to her chest, Max squeezed her legs together and smiled at Chloe between panting breaths, "Not...right now, Chlo. My parents are still awake. But maybe later..." She slid off the bed and grabbed a handful of clothes from their bag, adding with a sly smirk, "Also, you should shower and go brush your teeth. You stink."

Moments later, Chloe stood alone in the Caulfield washroom; alone except for her thoughts and insecurities anyway. The bathroom door locked behind her, she stared at her reflection in the mirror as she let her clothes fall into a heap on the floor.

_You need to get a grip, Chloe! This house is making you crazy!_

Chloe cringed at the sight of her reflection in the mirror; barely in her 20's, she could easily be mistaken for nearly twice that due to stress, irregular diet, and years of smoking. Her blue eyes looked grey, sunken and bloodshot. Her blonde hair – still stained blue near the ends – appeared faded, lifeless and greasy. Her body hunched over, visible ribs poking through.

_You're a fucking mess, Chloe. There's really no other way to describe it. I wonder if you ever looked this bad...around Rachel?_

Chloe closed her eyes and grimaced, trying unsuccessfully to dispel the last image from the mirror out of her mind's eye. She didn't like thinking about Rachel, because her thoughts usually proceeded from there to Frank...and then to the junkyard.

Shuddering like someone who just took a stiff drink, she engaged in the ablution of cleaning herself from the grit and dirt of the road, and also of the feeling of unease that she felt since setting foot in this house. The result was a satisfying shower – the most cleansing one that she felt like she had engaged in for a while – and when she emerged, a fluffy pink towel wrapped around her body and an equally thick one covering her head in a mock turban, she genuinely felt renewed emotionally and physically.

_And not just because of the "Renewal Shower Gel" that I had used._

She wiped her hand across the bathroom mirror and looked at her reflection again. On the surface, it didn't appear like too much had changed. Her face was red from the hot water but didn't look as greasy and grungy, her hair actually looked clean, and – after a few test sniffs – she could confirm that she didn't "stink" anymore. But she felt different. She almost had the urge to brush her hair and put on nail polish.

_Almost..._

Lifting the day's clothes pile into her arms, she opened the bathroom door and quickly peered up and down the hall. The house appeared dark, and quiet, except for the squeaks of bed springs and a sliver of light coming from Max's room.

Chloe padded quickly across the hall and into the bedroom, closing and locking the door behind her out of instinct. She turned around and saw Max sitting on the bed, wearing a long grey tank top with just the hint of pink fabric visible underneath. She looked up at her as she entered the room and, her brown hair tied back in a long ponytail, she chuckled, "Wowzers! There you are! I was worried you fell asleep in there or something!"

Chloe tossed her clothes in a heap onto the floor and the bed squeaked as she shoved Max back, "Shut up! I wasn't in there that long!"

Max giggled from her prone position, "Jeez, miss testy! You were in there for, like, an hour!"

Chloe stepped into a pair of Mickey Mouse boxer shorts and pulled them up as she tossed the towel on a nearby dresser, "Well, maybe I was having some sexy fun with your parents' showerhead!" She replied, and then stuck her tongue out in a flourish.

Max hushed Chloe between snorting giggles, her face turning pink, "Oh my gosh! My parents will hear you! Just come to bed, please?" She pulled back the blankets and got underneath them, still letting out intermittent snorting giggles in Chloe's direction.

Chloe unwrapped the towel on her head and put it on top of the dresser by the other one. She fluffed her hair a few times with her fingers, then got into bed behind Max. The bed was a small double, so Chloe had to squeeze up close to Max to avoid having any part of her hanging off the edge. Lying practically nose to nose, Chloe could smell the rapid minty puffs of Max's breath on her face, "I hope my breath doesn't stink" she said with a cheeky grin.

"It's fine," Max replied, her face still bearing a slight grin, but her eyes looked different...Chloe saw them meet hers with a probing stare, and confirming that notion, Max added, "So...I was thinking...can we talk about what happened earlier?"

Chloe shrugged, her eyes looking down as she saw Max reach out the few inches between us and take Chloe's hand in hers. "Chloe?"

She swallowed back a pang of defensiveness and her natural instinct to deflect, took a deep breath and said, "I...I don't know what happened, okay? I guess...just being here makes me feel...I dunno..."

"Nervous?" Max asked.

Chloe shrugged again, "Nervous...anxious...scared...angry. Just...not comfortable. Not...right."

Max furrowed her brow, and her other hand brushed Chloe's hair from her face, "Why?"

For a third time, Chloe shrugged beneath the covers, "Look...I don't know, Maxine Freud!" She snapped before she could stop herself, and immediately felt ashamed and frustrated for it. Max, though, didn't look hurt or surprised; she just squeezed Chloe's hand tighter and said softly, "Chloe, hon?"

She found it hard to meet Max's eyes, so she focused on their hands connected together, "Yeah, what?" She mumbled.

Chloe felt a hand on her face as Max brushed the hair away from Chloe's eyes again and whispered, "Chloe...if you don't want to be here, we can leave tonight. We can get dressed and go right now because I don't want to stay if..."

Chloe shook her head firmly, her fingers squeezing Max's hand tightly, "No! No...this is where you need to be. You need to be safe...you need to be comfortable and happy and..."

"Chloe!" Max said, her voice a loud whisper, "What I need to feel all of those things...the only thing I need...is  **you**! Without you, I will never feel safe...or comfortable! If I didn't have you, I would  **not**  be happy!"

Chloe shook her head, dismissive and disbelieving, but Max continued, her voice breaking as tears slowly started to leak from her eyes, "Chloe...you ask me sometimes why you, right? Why did I choose you? Why did I sacrifice Arcadia Bay to save you? Why do I keep stopping you from dying again and again?"

Chloe felt deep guilt for her words and her actions.

_Fuck, Chloe! You did it again! You fucked things up like you always do, you selfish bitch!_

"Please, Max...please don't cry! It's fine, really; I'm sorry! I didn't mean to..."

"No...you listen, Chloe Price!" Max said, her teeth clenched in frustration and sadness as she tried to stay quiet; succeeding in keeping her voice down as her nose ran and her eyes clenched shut.

She continued, "I've lived with what I did every single day, and I know that I will live with it for the rest of my life. Anybody that died on that day? That was my fault! Not the storm; Me! I thought about my friends...about those innocent people whose lives depended on the choice that I made! And I chose to kill them! I made the choice!"

Chloe didn't know whether to keep Max from continuing, to hug her, or something else she couldn't think of. But all the good feelings that had come from her shower were gone and the only thing she knew for certain was that she wanted to make Max stop crying.

"You were right, Chloe. Your m...mother didn't deserve to die in some diner. But...I couldn't use that picture! I couldn't, because then...then you'd..."

Max lost her voice amidst sobs that grew louder in volume, and Chloe couldn't bear to watch it any further or risk Max's parents getting involved. She took Max into her arms and hugged her close, rubbing her back and making soothing noises as she willed herself not to start crying too.

She wasn't successful.

Chloe sniffled softly, continuing to mentally curse her selfishness, and whispered, "Please stop crying, Max. I love you! I swear I'll never question things again!"

They remained like that until finally Chloe heard and felt Max's cries taper off into the occasional hiccup. Chloe's neck and chest were wet with Max's tears, but she didn't care; comforting Max was all that mattered to her. Comforting her, and forgiveness for the attitude that started this in the first place. Chloe felt suddenly exhausted and was even starting to doze off with Max's face snuggled warmly against her breasts when she felt motion on her chest that roused her again. Her eyes looked down and saw Max's eyes looking back up at her. Her face was streaked with dried tears and her eyes, red-rimmed and bloodshot, shone with moisture.

"Chloe?" she sniffled, after coughing twice.

Chloe gently kissed the top of Max's head and said, "If you wanted to bury your face in my tits, you could have just asked."

"Please don't leave me."

Chloe smiled and nodded, "I promise, Max."

Max nuzzled and kissed Chloe's breasts as she lay there, her arms wrapped around Chloe's body tightly, and whispered, "I can't live without you again."

Chloe ran her fingers through Max's long, brown hair, smelling the scent of a flowery shampoo and something else that Chloe only knew as the distinct smell of everything Max. She was absolutely certain about only a few things in her life, but one of them was that there was nobody in the world that she ever loved, or would ever love, as much as Maxine Caulfield.

"I can't live without you," she whispered back.

Chloe felt Max smile against her chest, and it filled her with more warmth and happiness than she thought she had ever felt before. She wished they could live forever in this moment of certainty and comfort together. She wished this night could go on forever, and the two of them could lie like this - in this bed inside this house - until the end of time.

_But the morning will come...and this moment will end..._

_Then what?_


	5. Chapter 5

_I should let her sleep_

Max stood beside the bed and pulled her underwear, and then her jeans up over her hips.

_It would be stupid to wake her up...wouldn't it?_

_I mean...I'm not a child anymore! Right?_

As she fastened her bra and then reached down to pick up her shirt off the floor, she paused for a moment. Chloe lay on her back, snoring softly; her long blonde hair hanging partially in her face and moving rhythmically with her breath. Max's eyes traveled down her fully-exposed, naked body, the blankets down at her feet.

_Do friends sleeping together in the same bed end up naked?_

_What if mom or dad open the door and see Chloe asleep like... **this**?_

Max snatched her shirt from the floor, trying to remain as quiet as she could until she finished making her mind up.

_This is still my room...isn't it? It's not like anybody would just walk in if the door was closed. Would they?_

With a snort, Chloe rolled over onto her side toward the wall and let out a loud snore. Max stared with smirking amusement at her naked behind, then nodded to herself.

She decided finally that should her parents open the door for whatever reason and see Chloe lying like this in her bed...

_Well, I'll cross that bridge when I come to it, won't I?_

She softly closed the bedroom door behind her and made her way downstairs to the kitchen.

Her walk paused for a split-second when she caught the smell of freshly-brewed coffee and saw her father sitting at the kitchen table. He clutched a mug of coffee in both hands and looked up as Max padded in. She saw the shadow of a smile cross his face beneath his full, greying beard as she walked over and kissed him on the cheek.

"Morning, daddy." Max whispered.

"Morning, hon. Sleep well?"

Max nodded as she went over and pulled a mug from the cuoboard. "It's nice to be back. I love seeing you and mom again. Things haven't changed at all."

_No...that's not true. The last time I was here, there was an atmosphere of anticipation and excitement as I prepared to return to Arcadia Bay and start my first semester at Blackwell, taking photography under **the**  Mark Jefferson. What a fucking naive child I was!_

The last time she was here, she recalled, she had so many plans for the future. Now Arcadia Bay was gone - or maybe just badly damaged, she still hadn't found out for sure - and her future was...

_Unknown? Unclear? Clouded?_

_But the change isn't all doom and gloom._

The last time she was here, she was in a state of anxiety over the status of her relationship with her former best friend; the one she hadn't spoken to in five years. Now her childhood friend was asleep in her bed.

_Asleep **naked** in my bed._

Max filled her mug and then sat in a chair next to her father; she gazed deeply into the brown liquid and lost herself in thought.

"We're so glad you're safe, Max. We really were beside ourselves with worry." she heard her father's voice say and looked up to meet his worried gaze.

"I know, daddy. I'm sorry we didn't get in touch sooner. I just wasn't ready, with everything that had happened, and Chloe and I trying to...make sense of things."

Ryan Caulfield put his large hand on Max's arm and favoured her with a smile. "You don't owe us an explanation, Max. You're an adult now and what you went through - what both of you went through - was enough to drive anybody into a cave. We are just glad that you got out okay. And even better that you reunited with Chloe so you had someone with you.

Max nodded with a smile and sipped at her coffee, "Yeah...I'm definitely lucky that I had Chloe...that I  **have**  Chloe."

"So, how long have you two been dating?"

Max looked up, her eyes wide and her mouth open in surprise. Her father's smile had grown and he squeezed her arm. She felt her cheeks growing warm.

"Call it father's intuition." he said with a conspirational wink. "Plus, I noticed you two holding hands under the table. Am I wrong?"

Max shook her head and met her father's eyes. They were warm, and showed love and acceptance. She told him about everything that had happened following her return to Arcadia Bay. The only parts she left out were regarding her time-related abilities.

"It just...happened, I guess. Although, to be honest, we never actually discussed whether we were...dating, or together or..." Max shrugged and took a sip of coffee, "I think that I always sort of wanted us to be more than friends...but then...we moved."

Ryan Caulfield looked thoughtful while he listened to her speak, and when she was done, he hugged her. "You and Chloe used to be so close as kids. Your mother and I always worried about the trouble you two would get into together, and what kind of influence she was having on you. But it was impossible to miss that, whenever you were around Chloe or whenever you talked about her, your eyes always lit up. Even when you were youngsters, she wasn't just a friend, was she?"

"She was my hero," Max said with a wistful smile.

_She still is._

"I would do anything for her."

_Like destroy an entire town..._

Max looked at father, "Daddy?"

"Yeah, hon?"

"Well..." Max started, "Last night, you asked if we'd heard anything about...survivors in Arcadia Bay?"

Her father nodded, and his eyes told her to continue.

"Have you?" Max asked, squeezing the warm mug tightly.

Ryan Caulfield took a deep breath, "Just from what we read in the paper and saw on TV. They said it was some kind of...mega storm or something. It hit the town hard, destroyed buildings, collapsed houses...people were being pulled from rubble...are you sure you're okay to hear about all this?"

Max's felt her chest tighten. She tried to smile, but it probably ended up looking more like a grimace. "I'm fine. Chloe's mother, Joyce...do you if she is okay? She was in Two Whales when it happened."

Ryan Caulfield shrugged, "Her name wasn't among the names of bodies identified, but that could be a good thing, right?

Max nodded shakily and took a sip of her mug. "Well, anyway, thanks for letting Chloe and I stay over last night. Our apartment is...well, it's sometimes not the most comfortable place and...it was nice to be in a proper room, in a proper bed for once."

Ryan's warm smile came back, "It doesn't have to be 'for once' honey. You and Chloe are welcome to stay as long as you'd like." He then added, "Although...that bed in there is barely a double. It can't be too comfortable for two adults, even two adults that probably don't mind close quarters."

Max was happy her father seemed okay with her relationship with Chloe, but still felt really awkward discussing too many intimate details with him. "It's fine. We...made it work. And speaking of work, I'm not sure how long Chloe will be able to stay, with her job and all."

"What about my job?"

Max and her father turned to see Chloe standing in the doorway. She was wearing a black band t-shirt and a pair of Max's pajama shorts. Max got to her feet and smiled, "Oh hey! You're up!"

Chloe stretched and yawned, "I smelled coffee and figured I'd come down and see where everybody was." she said, walking over to the coffee maker and opening up every cupboard until Max pointed to the one with the coffee cups. "So, what about my job?" she asked, spooning sugar into her mug.

"Well..." Max began, "I was just saying that I wasn't sure how long we could stay because you have your job and stuff."

Her father added, "Chloe, Max and you are welcome to stay as long as you wanted. Vanessa and I thought that it might do you both some good to have some quiet and relaxation after what you both went through. Besides, we were so worried about you and it would be a shame if you had to run off so soon. But we definitely understand that work comes first."

Max looked at Chloe worriedly. She remembered vividly the events of the previous night, and how Chloe had been upset and uncomfortable with being at her parents' place.

Chloe nodded at Ryan Caulfield and then shot Max a smile, "That's hella nice of you, Mr. Caulfield. If Max is okay with it, then I don't mind taking a few more days off work."

Max cocked her head to one side and raised an eyebrow to Chloe, "Really?"

"Really really!" Chloe said as she finished filling her coffee mug and put it on the kitchen table, setting it beside Max's own cup. Max took Chloe's hands and kissed her lips softly.

"Well, look at you being all forward, super Max!" Chloe exclaimed, her cheeks turning red.

Max's smile grew and she pulled Chloe into a hug. "I'm just...happy, is all. You make me happy, especially when you're happy."

"I take it  _la familia_ knows about our...situation?" Chloe was speaking to Max, but Max knew that she was indirectly addressing her father.

"Max and I had a talk this morning and the topic of you came up, yes." Ryan Caulfield said to Chloe with a smile.

Chloe took Max's hand in response and smiled. "All sparkling and positive stuff, I expect?"

"Always, Chloe." He said with a smile and sipped his coffee.

Chloe grinned at Max and squeezed her hand. "Good. You definitely have an amazing daughter, Mr. Caulfield. Cute too."

"Chloe, shush!" Max said, her cheeks turning pink.

Chloe winked at her and said, "I should go get dressed and let the boss know I'm taking a few days off." Then, kissing her lips softly, and turned and left the kitchen.

Max sat down at the table again and sipped at her coffee, a small smile on her pink face. She could feel her father's eyes on her and shyly said, "I'm glad Chloe seems happy."


End file.
